Jericho Prime
Jericho Prime (often referred to simply as Jericho by outsiders and Prime to its inhabitants) is the fifth planet in the independent Sagan-52 system. Jericho Prime has no official government which has made it an attractive spot for businesses and individuals looking to escape regulations and restrictions. Despite having no government and therefore no official law enforcement, Jericho Prime has a very low crime rate and is relatively safe compared to other independent colonies. The inhabitants of Jericho Prime have banded together to form militias to keep order on their planet. Although most militias operate independently of one another, they usually cooperate to further their common goals. The militias of Jericho Prime have little patience for criminals and those who threaten the peace and safety of their planet. As a result, trials are exceedingly rare and executions are commonplace on Jericho Prime. Jericho Prime boasts a thriving arms and spacecraft market filled with items that are banned in United American Federation and Fourth German Reich territory. In addition to small traders, large corporations have also setup on Jericho Prime both to sell products and to conduct research that may be illegal elsewhere. History Colonization of Jericho Prime Jericho Prime was first discovered as part of a search for Earth-like exoplanets in 2024. In 2132, the Jericho Mining Authority (JMA) determined Sagan-52, and Jericho Prime in particular, was a high priority mining target. In 2136, JMA began its effort to colonize Sagan-52 starting with the fifth planet in the system which they named Jericho Prime. Initial results from Jericho Prime were promising and so JMA began a full fledged colonization effort of Jericho Prime. By 2138, nearly a million JMA employees and their families lived on Jericho Prime. In 2139, things took a turn for the worse when several shipments of minerals from Jericho Prime turned out to be too low quality to refine. After an extensive study, it was discovered that 90% of the minerals on Jericho Prime and other planets in Sagan-52 were unusable. The failed Sagan-52 mining effort left JMA bankrupt and they were forced out of business in 2141. With JMA out of business, many of the former employees and their families were stuck on Jericho Prime and could not afford to leave. Post-JMA Chaos The sudden collapse of JMA quickly led to a dire situation on Jericho Prime. The colonists were entirely dependent on the company's established supply lines for most resources including food and water. Without JMA, the colonists living conditions quickly deteriorated and they faced starvation. Groups of colonists banded together in an attempt to control the little resources that remained. Jericho Prime became extremely dangerous as the planet descended into a state of total anarchy. Gangs took resources from those who could not defend themselves and often left no survivors. Dawn of the Militias As the conditions on Jericho Prime reached a new low, colonists that had been victimized by the gangs began to come together to form militias. At first the militias were hesitant to take on the raider gangs but as there numbers grew they became more bold. Independent militias across the planet began to make successful assaults against the gangs. Although the militias never came together to form a single large army, they occasionally worked together to carry out large-scale operations. By mid-2143, the raiders had nearly been defeated and order had been returned to the majority of the planet. Out of desperation, the remaining gangs attempted to band together. This attempt turned out to be in vein, because at the same time, leaders from nearly all of the militias across Jericho Prime met to discuss an all-out attack on the remaining raider-controlled territory. By 2144, the remaining gangs had been wiped out and peace finally returned to Jericho Prime Jericho Prime Begins to Thrive With the raider gangs defeated, colonists across the planet began to turn their attention towards their resource issues. The colonists began to contact nearby colonies in an attempt to trade for the food and water that was desperately needed. The first businesses on Jericho Prime were formed by those who had control over advanced JMA technology. These business began to sell the technology to buy food and water which was then sold to the rest of the planet. With the immediate resource issues seemingly solved, the colonists of Jericho Prime began to build lives on Jericho Prime. During this time, no attempt had been made to create a unified government and no one seemed interested in having one. The militias continued to keep order around the planet and did not interfere with the everyday activities of civilians. Businesses began to spring up around the planet, and Jericho Prime quickly began to gain a reputation across the galaxy as a place free from government and regulations. By the 2150s, Jericho Prime had become a thriving independent colony despite the lack of government on the planet. The Great Militia War See The Great Militia War The Dawn of Modern Jericho Prime With the Great Militia War coming to an end, the people of Jericho Prime began to rebuild their devastated planet. Walsh's united militias once again became independent and no one, not even Walsh, attempted to keep them united. Ben Mitchell had left a strong distaste for authority and centralization among the Jerichan people. By 2175, life on Jericho Prime had for the most part returned to how it was before the war. Businesses had returned and more were beginning to arrive all the time. For the first time large companies from the UAF began to do business on Jericho Prime. By the 2180s, Jericho Prime was more prosperous than it had ever been before. Militias continued to keep the peace around the planet and were more careful than ever before to not restrict anyone's freedom. From 2180 to the present day, business continue to expand their operations on Jericho Prime at an ever increasing rate. The arms market that Jericho Prime is renowned for was kick started when UAF arms giant Accuracy Interstellar opened a distribution hub and testing center on Jericho Prime in 2187. Following Accuracy Interstellar, many weapons manufacturing and distribution companies flocked to Jericho Prime leading to the market that exists today. Notable Locations * Eugene * Browning Notable Businesses * Accuracy Interstellar